Unexpected Relations
by jaimi-or-jaemi
Summary: Since the death of his family, he and his son are the only cobras left of their bloodline. Now there are two new cobras standing on his front step that have kin-scent, one he had not smelled since the loss of his family.


Thank you to anyone who reviews, comments, or otherwise communicates with me

So I was getting ready to work on Letters for John, because that's next on the docket when the muses decided I needed to do this little piece. Since it does not exactly fit into Trial & Error I am posting it as a one-shot, however it takes place in June of 2012 which is chapter 19 of Trial & Error and chapter 86 of Seeking.

Anything related to Sherlock is still not mine.

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><p><em>Eric's POV<em>  
>He had just returned home from a lovely night out with his pup when he freezes just inside his house. No one has breached the wards, yet there are at least two unfamiliar scents that are far too close to his territory for his pleasure. Actually, according to scent they were sill nearby though he had seen no one when he pulled up. Frowning, he heads to the front door, long limbs eating the distance faster than many would think he could move. Though a secret he prefers to keep to himself is his ability to use the immortals teleportation trick. Upon opening the door, his mind focuses on the area around while he switches to hunters sight to spot them.<p>

It takes less than a minute to find the two of them, just on the past his property edge, standing within a simple see-not temperature maintained barrier. The first is a female, silvery white eyes, pale skin with silvery white scales patterned across her jaw, neck and forehead, curling white hair, dressed in old style robes that declares that she is a tracker in training and an elder in training. The second is a male, as dark as the first is light. Black eyes with silver rings identical to his own eye, short jet black hair, light skin with black scales, and dressed in simple trackers clothes, though the design on the bottom of them declare he is in training too. Both have slightly pointed ears.

_Unshield,_ he hisses at them, eyes narrow as he watches them glance between each other, their thoughts oddly silent.

A moment later they do as ordered, the female stepping forward first, her hands fluttering as she does so, ~Elite black cobra Tracker~ she tilts her head to the side thoughtfully for a moment, ~It was suggested that you could assist us with a situation we are in.~

She bows low, child to adult, Trainee to Tracker, and waits patiently for his answer.

_Approach and enter, _he orders the pair, eying them thoughtfully.

Both do so, the male staying close to the female though there movements are not like lovers and they are not close enough yet for him to scent them properly. Just before they reach the door, he steps back so they may enter, his tongue flickering out as he does so.

Shock pours through his system. What he can smell and taste is impossible. These two have kin-scent, not really close kin-scent but close enough that it reminds him of his cousin Calia who has been dead for over a decade kin-scent. It is the impossible.

Closing the door once they are in the house, his mind focuses on the one place he never goes except for when hunting and he vanishes, leaving the pair standing in his entryway, he will be back shortly.

A moment later he is reappearing in the middle of the black and white throne room where the Shadow Mistress holds her court, his temper ruling him so he does not consider that he is acting out in a very stupid way right now.

Everyone else in the room vanishes as he approaches the throne, black eyes focused on the child-like being perched on it.

_If you were not a favorite, Eric, I would be most displeased with this behavior. _She informs him as she watches him come closer.

He would be the first to tell you it is not wise to yell at an Old God, yet he was here to do just that. Though the use of his first name pulls him out of his shock and anger just enough to back step politely and bow tightly.

_Please, formalness has not been in you since I brought you back the first time. _She remarks in her lilting voice. _Why are you here my cobra? It is not to see your sister. _She pauses for a moment, her eyes going distant, _Ah yes, I had forgotten that that particular line carried your families blood in it. You wish to know how. Simple enough, your great granddame Cara was a twin, her twin died the day before they were to be accepted. Despite that, their mother offered the twin to me in prayer. I accepted, taking the body of the dead child and bringing it here to restore. On the other side of the world a white cobra named Skah prayed that he may have a child to carry on his family. Both his mates were lost to him, so I granted his request, giving him the recently revived cobra infant and telling him nothing of her origins. He named the child Nayeli and raised her as his own. The two currently standing in your living room are the same generation as your son, making them her great, great grandchildren and your third cousin once removed. _

_Damn it, I have spent years wishing just one of them survived and here your telling me there is an entire different line? _The logical part of his mind was screaming at him not to piss off the goddess who created his kind and more recently kept him alive when he should have been, however, it was one of those rare times when he was ignoring his logical mind and just going with it.

Standing, her body changes from that of a child to one that is physically his equal. Intellectually he realizes he is in trouble but one thing she had always noted was his stubbornness.

_If you were one of my immortals I would say you were intentionally courting mortality. _There is amusement in her voice as she drifts closer and he bows his head, more out of habit than anything else. _Such a shame you prefer men, though your mate is one of my favorites too for his determination despite all odds._

His lips quirk at that, his mate is rather determined, very determined, and it is one of the reasons he had decided not to fight the bond. He refused to rush into anything. His mate, oh shit, how could he have allowed his emotions to get the better of him and threaten his mate? There are times he really hates himself.

_My passionate cobra, I don't think your bonded is going to know what hit him when you two finally stop dancing around each other. _She chuckles deep in his mind, _if you ever decide you like females, I'll make sure you have a proper one to play with. _

_My mate is more than enough for me! _He hisses, temper flaring again at the subtle insult.

She smirks, getting within touching distance, before replying, _Good. Now go home and deal with your guests, it's not polite to just vanish like that._

He bows low once, before focusing his attention and returning home. Inside his head is going a bit crazy, fretting about the fact that his behavior could have harmed his mate, and the protection of his pup was the first thing on his agenda. How could he of done something so damn stupid? This is why allowing his emotions to the surface was not a good idea. He could have caused his pup harm by the loss of his mate if the Shadow Mistress had not been so forgiving. Past that, what the hell was he thinking going and confronting a goddess, and his primary patron goddess at that? It is never a good idea to pick a fight with one of the Old Gods. Hell, he is the first one to say that when someone else thinks it, and yet he had taken himself to her court, and yelled at her, yet again he owed her his life, this time for not rightly punishing him for being so brilliantly stupid.

As he solidifies in his living room, he makes sure the door to the house is shut and that neither cobra has moved, not that he really has to worry about it, he had been gone for less than a minute. Time moves differently in the Shadow Court than it does here.

_Introductions if you please, _he just about commands as he carefully looks both over with new eyes, taking in details that remind him of those he had lost, and seeing the details that come from being both American and distantly related rather than close related. The fact that she is a white cobra, not a black makes him wish that he had the mnemonic trait like his son to see if there had ever been a white cobra in their family before or whether that was something gifted to her from the Shadow Mistress as a bloodline trait.

The girl is the first to bow again, student to teacher, fingers fluttering as she does so, ~I am Misae Bayuk, elite white cobra, Tracker trainee, elder in training, thera trainee, and a purifier.~

Nearly as soon as she has completed her introduction the male steps beside her, ~I am Ojai Bayuk, elite black cobra, Tracker trainee, shielder, sworn to protect my twin and elder.~ he bows as well, student to teacher, black cobra to black cobra.

Lifting his head a bit he replies, _I am Eric Jefferson, called Venomous or Tech, elite black cobra, Tracker Blessed of the Shadow, Sun, and Moon, sworn to protect the thera alpha wolf John. Be welcome. _He does not bow, though tradition demands that he should. He can visibly see the pair relax, there smaller forms losing some of the tension that fills them. _Are either of you thirsty? _He politely inquires, not yet choosing to use his voice since he is not ready for the overload he knows will come with the taste of family after so long. It had taken him weeks to get used to Aidan, how was he going to deal with them?

~A drink would be appreciated.~ she replies, pale eyes watching him.

Her brother shoots her a look, answering, ~No thank you.~

He considers smirking, but decides against it, after all that would not be polite and at the moment he is trying for polite, even if he is sure he is failing. _If you would follow me, whatever discussion that is to follow would be better suited in the garden. _He directs them, keeping the order and command out of the statement as he heads towards the kitchen to get their drinks, fresh lemonade, and three cups in case the male decides he wishes to drink some after all before heading towards the attached garden in the back of the house. Thankfully, he had cleaned it just a few days prior because he was considering asking his pup to assist him with the next molt and that meant he wanted it looking its best.

Once in the garden, he motions to the patio set that he had placed near his sun rock, and set the drinks down for each to pour their own as they please. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches as they take in the garden, the female being far more impressed than her twin, but her twin showing it more. Now that his senses are not feeling as overwhelmed and his mind is not reeling from the kin-scent, he is able to pick up on their thoughts, though he turns his attention away, checking the neighborhood hatchlings instead. They are family whether they know it or not and it is never a good idea to be in family's head. Of course his pup doesn't care one way or another, but then his pup is special, perfect for him.

Get back on track Eric, he scolds himself, discover why they are here and if they are aware of the familial connection.

"This is beautiful," the female murmurs in clear amazement, "Did you do all of this yourself?"

He inclines his head once, shifting his legs into his tail, and settling himself beside the collection of lilacs that he currently growing for his pup. This way the scent of the lilacs should help to deal with the scent of the familial reminder. "I did," he responds softly, eyes taking in the garden that stretches the entire length of his house and is completely enclosed in triple layer storm glass and steel.

When he had first bought the house he had enclosed the entire back yard in a greenhouse, despite the fact most thought he was insane for doing so, then proceeded to work on it, adding little details as he went. During those early years he had not been home enough to actually garden, but he had started preparing it for when he was going to be, installing walkways, benches, the pool, heating system, irrigation, and everything else that might be needed to keep a damn-near tropical garden thriving. He even had a spot in the spot behind the kitchen that was a mock desert, though keeping the moisture away from the other plants had been fun to figure out until he remembered his geomancy and hydromancy.

"Amazing, I have never seen a garden quite like this one." she remarks as she continues to glance around, though her gaze falls on the flowering lilacs so close to him with a speculation that makes him narrow his eyes.

"That is very likely," he replies, thinking, considering it is run on the elemental psionic gifts, in a shifter household, I doubt anyone in her den has been in a garden like this.

Turning her attention back fully to him, she states, "We are here because our teacher was killed during a raid by gifted and humans that left most of our den captured in their animal form or left in the desert areas of our home state to die from the heat." Pausing for a moment, her head tilts to the side as if she is considering something before continuing, "We were rescued and freed by a human Tracker with moons on his wrist," she touches hers as she says this, "who suggested that we seek you out for assistance and training."

"I already have two I am training, one Trainee and one Apprentice. I can suggest Trackers that do not currently have Trainees or Apprentices if you want." He murmurs, sticking closer to the lilacs in order to not scent them anymore than necessary.

She nods, "That would be appreciated, we do not have an exact target right now, the one he had was dealt with by the human Tracker." Pouring herself another lemonade, she tilts her head to the side and studies him for a moment, even without listening to her thoughts he can just about read them in her pale eyes as she glances between him and the heavily scented lilacs on either side of him. "You are trying to avoid our scent, why if I may ask?"

"Which of the Old Ones do you plan to petition for your Blessing?" he inquires, not ignoring her question, so much as determining how to answer depending on their answer.

"Mistress of Shadows, as a healer and an elder, she is the one whom I pray to," she responds.

For the first time the male speaks, answering, "Lord of the Dawn and Lady of Dusk, as judge, jury, execution, and protectors."

A smirk curves his lips, he has Blessing from all three of the Old God they listed. The first, the Mistress of Shadows, had accepted his oath as a Tracker moments after she had brought him back, restoring his body from all of the damage. The Dusk Daughter had marked him second, getting tired of his calling on her when judging immortals. Instead she had tested him, decided he would do, and marked him with the right to judge immortals himself and execute them as is. She told him his judgment was as sound as her own and thus she believed he deserved the right to judge. However at that point in his life he had not known the laws of their kind, so he kept bugging the Dawn Son, Keeper of Laws, for clarification before the Dawn Son had done the same as his twin, testing him and declaring that he would know what he needed when he needed it, marking him as well. Never seemed to take into account that his memory was perfect, and things he knew for just a moment, he knew forever. His fourth hunter mark, the mark of child protector was given to him because of his stubbornness, during his hunting, any child who needed help, no matter the species or race, he would help. The Shadow Mistress had gotten sick of trying to punish him, since he merely accepted it as is and repeated the process the next time he came across a child in need.

"Your scent is very similar to that which I lost. The reason I have four markers, three for hunting, one for protecting." He answers the question, "My suggestion of Trackers would be Ather of the Aurora Dawn Lineage or Hikaru, an iriomote cat from Japan." He pauses for a moment, eyes sweeping over both as he allows his particular brand of empathy to feel them out. Cold fury fills both, though for different reasons. "Ather may be the better selection, for Hikaru does not appreciate those without mercy."

The female blinks, eyes widening as she automatically senses the air around them. "Why would you say we are without mercy?" she inquires, attention flickering away from him.

"I recognize cold fury when I feel it, add the lack of empathy that I feel from both of you," he shrugs, "We're cobras mercy is not in our genetic makeup, it is something taught and I have a feeling neither of you accepted that lesson."

"You wouldn't train us even if you did not have two trainees already would you?" the boy demands, voice a soft his full of power.

Turning his black eyes on the younger shifter, he locks gazes and smiles when he feels the others will give out, they might both be cobras but he has far more practice be dangerous and not just because he is older. Releasing him, he settles back and states, "Neither my Trainee nor Apprentice has ever fallen under my gaze, you just did."

The female nods, "Power to power, you would not train us, because you are not the correct fit for our particular set of talents. You believe these other two to be so?"

When her twin goes to comment, her hand jerks up in a silencing motion as she hisses at him. A part of him remembers being bound to those rules, but another part is ever so thankful that he no longer is.

"Correct." His answer is clipped, he wants them to go so he can reflect on his new knowledge, later, once he has processed the idea that he still has family left in the world besides his children and mate he may track them down to speak with them further but for now. For nearly half his life he had been without any sort of real connection except the ones forged in fire. He was not going to be changing over night.

Standing, she bows low, Trainee to Tracker, Elder to higher ranked Elder, "Our thanks for your time. Come Ojai, we shall find a scryer to discover where this cat is."

Shifting to fully human, he stands stating, "She is on her home island of course, her first test is always to see if those who wish to train with her are able to find her."

"Then we shall do so," the young woman tells him, "I am a thera as well as a Tracker, without mercy I would not be much of a healer, now would I?"

He smiles, mildly shocked at her insight, but pleased that she understood none the less. With a nod, he escorts them to the door.

Before he opens it, the female tilts her head and states softly, "We are cobras, we are not designed to be alone, and yet this house has no scent but yours, you avoid scenting others, as a healer I can tell you that's not healthy. It is unnatural to one of us, so I wonder why you force yourself to do so. You said that our scent reminded you of that which you lost to become a tracker, and the only thing I can think is there is a relation somewhere in the family tree. I will be looking into that, because if that is so, then you have a family and have no cause to be alone."

Shock rips through his system, this hatchling things to tell him what to do? A low hiss builds low in his throat but he refuses to do so. He has already lost control once tonight, he would not be repeating that. "I have a son, and I can scent him in this house with ease, our scents are very close to identical, much to most of the mouse population in this areas concern." He states just as softly, "past that I am courting my mate, eventually his scent will fill this house or another if he so prefers." His head tilts to the side, "I am never alone, not truly, for my telepathy allows me to connect with every single person in the den, in the area around me, and best or maybe worst of all, those I am sworn to."

A smirk curves her lips as she opens the door, "You remind me of my uncle, the only person he prefers to touch is his mate too," slipping out it she switches to sign, ~It was a pleasure to meet you, I hope we meet again.~

Nodding to her brother, the pair walks off and he finds himself shaking his head. Of course he gets a loop like that thrown at his head. There is not enough drama in his life with his time being spent courting his mate, supporting his best friend through a nasty separation, being there for his son when he is having a stressful day, training both an apprentice and trainee, protecting the den, and trying to deal with life. Why not add lost relatives to the mix. It's going to take forever to get their scent out of his house, and a small part of him wonders if he really wants too.


End file.
